Hurt
by CassieWolfe
Summary: One-shot. When Jack asks to help with Easter, Bunny expects it to be a one-time thing, born of curiosity, and is surprised that he comes back


**Hello, my beautiful readers! Here's a little one-shot for all you RotG fans.**

**As usual, I own nothing.**

"Hey, Bunny."

Bunny looked up at the annoying white-haired teenager standing over him.

"What do ya want, Jack? I'm kinda busy."

For once, Jack didn't seem to have an answer.

"Um, I just, well, I wondered if you needed help or anything," He said, strangely tentative. "North told me to go bug someone else, and I don't really want to be alone right now." The last was spoken so softly that Bunny barely heard it, but his ears were far better than a human's.

He sighed. "Fine, Frostbite. You can try your hand at painting the eggs."

Bunny didn't miss the look of incredulous excitement on Jack's face. "Really, Bunny?"

Bunny nodded. "Grab a brush and go at it. And, try to keep it spring-y, okay, mate?"

Sitting down next to Bunny, Jack picked up an egg and dipped his brush into a pale blue, going to work immediately. Bunny raised his eyebrows at the winter spirit's enthusiasm, but didn't comment. After all, he was trying to start over and forget all the times Jack Frost had made him look like an idiot.

Half an hour later, Bunny was pleasantly surprised to find that Jack was still sitting, contentedly painting eggs. What's more, the eggs he'd already finished were indistinguishable from Bunny's. Bunny smiled. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

A dozen eggs later, Jack got up and stretched. "I'm gonna fly down to see Jamie. That was fun, maybe I could help you with the eggs again sometime?"

He seemed to be waiting for a reply, so Bunny dragged his eyes away from the egg he was working on.

"Yeah, sure Frostbite. You're not half bad, ya know."

Jack smiled and took off, running down one of the tunnels. And then Bunny realized he'd forgotten to ask how he'd gotten into the Warren.

Bunny didn't really expect Jack to come back, he didn't really seem the type to like sitting still and working on detailed art for no reason except he liked doing it. Nonetheless, a few days later he was painting (yes, he had four months until Easter, but he liked to have the eggs done early), when a familiar figure dropped down next to him. Jack picked up an egg and went to work without saying a word. Now _that_ was odd. Bunny snuck a glance at the spirit, and was surprised to see an ugly bruise on his cheekbone. He had also clearly just been crying.

"Ya okay, Frostbite?" Bunny asked more gently than usual.

"Fine," Jack replied, his voice strangled.

Bunny wrapped an arm around Jack's shoulder, careful in case Jack pushed him off, but Jack leaned into Bunny's side, burying his face in his hands.

"What's wrong, Jackie?" He asked again. "You're not fine, I can tell."

Jack sighed. When he answered, his voice trembled slightly. "It's just, Theros and I don't get along."

Bunny's voice took on a dangerous edge as he asked, "Did he do this?"

"Yes?" Somehow Jack's answer had turned into a question.

"Did he hit you anywhere else?"

Jack shook his head, but Bunny wasn't fooled. He pressed a paw against a few of the more likely places for the bloody spirit of Summer to have hit. Turned out, Jack had been hit pretty much everywhere. Theros had even broken a rib. Scowling, Bunny stood up, carrying Jack to the infirmary of the Warren. He tended Jack's bruises and bound the rib so it would heal. To his fury, he found other, older injuries. Scars years old, and bruises that couldn't have been there longer than a week or two.

Strapping on his boomerangs and the strap to hold them, he turned toward the door, but Jack's voice stopped him.

"Where are you going?"

Bunny growled angrily, "To let Theros know he needs to stop hurting you."

Jack flinched. "Don't."

"What do ya mean, Frostbite?"

"It'll just be worse next time," Jack said softly.

Scowling again, Bunny tried to reassure the winter spirit. "But there won't be a next time!"

"Yes, there will. He'll just do it more carefully, so you don't notice."

Bunny went over and sat down on the edge of the bed – _his _bed – and put his paw on Jack's shoulder.

"Is there any way I can stop him?"

"Well," Jack said slowly, "I can usually take care of myself in winter. It's just summer I have to worry about, since he's so much stronger then. I normally spend summer in Antarctica or at the Pole with North, but he just thinks it's because the heat's uncomfortable. Maybe, could I just spend part of the summers here with you?"

"But it's winter now. How did he?"

"He had Jorah and Alvern with him."

Bunny muttered to himself, "Bloody bullies."

Catching Bunny's words, Jack started to cry silently, much to the bewilderment of the Pooka, who had no idea what he'd said.

"Frostbite, what's wrong?" Bunny asked, slipping an arm under Jack's neck so he could cuddle the boy he'd started to think of as his brother. His annoying, troublesome little brother.

"How can you care? Nobody's cared in so long," Jack sobbed brokenly.

"What do ya mean? Of course I care."

Instead of replying, Jack buried his face in Bunny's soft fur. Bunny sighed yet again. It looked like he wouldn't be finishing his eggs today.


End file.
